Tag: S.O.B.

Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats – S.O.B.

Son of a bitch, give me a drinkOne more night, this can’t be meSon of a bitch, if I can’t get cleanI’m gonna drink my life away

While baking in the 95-degree heat at the Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson concert, I told Bailey, my son, I was going to get some shade between acts. He told me not to be late for the next act, which he had wanted to see since 2013. I ran into a Canadian couple, and we started talking. I looked down at my phone, and Bailey was calling. He was worried, so I told him to come meet them.

We all talked for a while, and then we went back to our seats when the music from Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats started. Out of all the bands we saw…they impressed me the most. Bob and Willie are what they are, and they were great, but I expected that. I didn’t expect this band, though. I do remember listening to them on Christian’s Blog. He is right up my alley… he lists Townes Van Zandt, Willie Nelson, and Dylan as his influences.

As I listened, the first thought that came to me was a 60s R&B Stax feel. I looked up their discography, and… they are signed to Stax today! They had a sax and trumpet player and a B3 Hammond Organ, and sounded great. As I looked at their discography, they have had many charting recordings, including this one. 

They closed their set with this song. Nathaniel, with his suspenders, came howling out of the speakers like a Pentecostal James Brown who’s had one too many bad nights with a bottle. It hit me like a gospel revival in a whiskey joint. The song is about detox and desperation. A song about hitting bottom that sounds like a party. Nathaniel was seeking sobriety when he wrote this. 

Bailey has known of them since he was 13. He never shared these guys, and I wish he had done that. Bailey is a huge Dylan fan, and when he saw these guys on the bill, he got the tickets for us both. They sold out Madison Square Garden with their first headlining gig in March of this year. 

This song peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot Rock and Alternative Songs, #36 in Canada, and #2 on the Canadian Rock Charts in 2015. It was on their self-titled album, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, released in 2015. The album peaked at #17 on the Billboard Album Charts, #7 in Canada, #1 on the Billboard US Folk Albums, and #27 in the UK. 

S.O.B.

I’m gonna need someone to help meI’m gonna need somebody’s handI’m gonna need someone to hold me downI’m gonna need someone to care

I’m gonna writhe and shake my bodyI’ll start pulling out my hairI’m gonna cover myself with the ashes of youAnd nobody’s gonna give a damn

Son of a bitch, give me a drinkOne more night, this can’t be meSon of a bitch, if I can’t get cleanI’m gonna drink my life away

Now for 17 years I’ve been throwing them back17 more will bury meCan somebody please just tie me down?Or somebody give me a goddamn drink

Son of a bitch, give me a drinkOne more night, this can’t be meSon of a bitch, if I can’t get cleanI’m gonna drink my life awayHey, yeah

My heart was breaking, hands are shakingBugs are crawling all over meMy heart was breaking, hands are shakingBugs are crawling all over meMy heart was breaking, hands are shakingBugs are crawling all over meMy heart was aching, hands are shakingBugs are crawling all over me

Son of a bitch, give me a drinkOne more night, this can’t be meSon of a bitch, if I can’t get cleanI’m gonna drink my life away

Son of a bitch, give me a drinkSon of a bitch, this can’t be meSon of a bitch, if I can’t get cleanI’m gonna drink my life awayYeah, ah

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